50 Years of WMUL

In 2011 WMUL celebrates its 50th anniversary as West Virginia's first public radio station. Throughout the year, WMUL will be looking back at events, and people that have made it the station it is today.

Student Paper highlight 50 Years of WMUL

A radio station whose signal could barely stretch past Fifth Avenue is now serving the entire Marshall community, as well as the Tri-State and Huntington areas in its 50th year of existence.

WMUL-FM Turns 50!

November 1- 50 years ago West Virginia’s first public radio station signed on the air, broadcasting from the basement of the Marshall University Library. WMUL-FM, Marshall’s student run radio station, was broadcasting at 10 watts of power on November 1, 1961, barely enough to cover campus. 50 years later, WMUL-FM has increased its power to 1,150 watts and its programming can be heard worldwide via WMUL-FM’s web stream. When the station signed on 50 years ago, no one could imagine the progress and success future students would experience. WMUL-FM students have won more than 1,100 state, regional, national and international awards. Over a third of those are for first place.

WMUL Faculty Manager Honored

July- A new scholarship has been established for a Marshall University student studying the field of radio in honor of the man who has been the driving force behind Marshall’s student radio station for more than two decades.

Celebrating 50th Anniversary

July- More than 100 people gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of WMUL-FM, Marshall University’s public radio station, Saturday, July 16, at the MU Foundation Hall, home of the Erickson Alumni Center, on Marshall’s Huntington campus.

A History of WMUL

July 29- On Wednesday, November 1, 1961, at 4 p.m., WMUL-FM signed on the air as a radio pioneer – West Virginia’s first non-commercial, educational radio station. Dr. Stephen Buell, Marshall’s director of educational radio-television, completed the dream. He initially applied for an FCC license for station WMCS (Marshall College Station). However, because Marshall gained university status earlier in 1961, Buell chose to reapply, this time with the call letters WMUL. These new call letters were rumored to stand for Marshall University Library, Marshall University Laboratory or as a rhyme with Buell’s last name.